From the sit-ins on the Kasbah Square in Tunis to the tents on
Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, from the encampments on the Puerta del
Sol in Madrid to Syntagma Square in Athens, from the Wisconsin Uprising
to Occupy LA, from Tahrir Square in Cairo to Liberty Plaza in New York -
there is an incredible movement of occupations growing in this year of
2011.

We are ordinary people. We are like you: people, who get up every
morning to study, work or find a job, people who have family and
friends. People, who work hard every day to provide a better future for
those around us.
Some of us consider ourselves progressive, others conservative. Some of
us are believers, some not. Some of us have clearly defined ideologies,
others are apolitical, but we are all concerned and angry about the
political, economic, and social outlook which we see around us:
corruption among politicians, businessmen, bankers, leaving us helpless,
without a voice.
This situation has become normal, a daily suffering, without hope. But
if we join forces, we can change it. It's time to change things, time to
build a better society together.

We're living through a magical moment ... #OCCUPYWALLSTREET has catalyzed
into an international insurgency for democracy ... the mood at our
assemblies is electric ... people who go there are drawn into a Gandhian
spirit of camaraderie and hope for a new kind of future. Across the
globe the 99% are marching! You have inspired more than you know."

The
emergence of the movements of the squares and the Occupy movement in
2011 can be seen as a reaction by people who opposed and began to fight
the massive increase in social inequality and the dismantling of
democracy in times of global financial and economic crisis. The
movements of the squares are non-hierarchical and reject representation;
direct democracy shapes their activities. The occupation of public
places serves as a catalyst to develop demonstrations, general strikes,
meetings and working groups on different focal points. Successful site
occupancies in one place often inspire occupations in other cities,
without a linear relationship.